The End
by SeraphimeRising
Summary: Companion Piece to Chapter 7 of "And You Will Have Me Live". What really happened the night Ron ended his relationship with Hermione and her reaction a few days later.
1. Chapter 1 The End

**Disclaimer: Not the characters. Not the universe. Only the idea.**

_A/N: This is a companion piece to Chapter 7 of the story And You Will Have Me Live. This scene takes place the day after the fight between Ron and Pansy._

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Sipping his fire-whiskey, Ron starred out across the London skyline from the shop. Every so often, he would look towards the empty chair beside him. Wondering how the hell he got to this place. The one reliable constant in his life had stormed out the front door because he lost his bloody temper about something so silly, Her not coming tonight was all his bloody fault and there wasn't anything he could do about it. They had both suffered before and during the war, why the hell did he have to rub his suffering in her face..

"So do you plan on staying out here all night?" George's voice echoed from behind.

Willing his brother to just go away and leave him in peace, and drink himself into peaceful slumber, "Come back in ten and I might have an answer."

"Hermione is waiting for you downstairs in the flat."

"Great," Ron groaned. "I don't want her to come around, she does. Do you mind sending her up?"

Silence feel on the roof with George starring at his brother. Ron, meanwhile stared into his glass before finishing it and topping it back off. Minutes passed before George replied, "Are you sure you want to see her?"

A hollow laugh escaped Ron's throat, "Of course I don't want to see her at the moment but this is the first time she's graced me with her presence in almost four weeks. Did you know that? I can't miss the opportunity to actually see my bloody girlfriend, now can I?"

"Why don't I just tell her you had a bad day and this isn't a good time?"

"No," Ron growled. "If you don't send her up, then I'm going to go down and I doubt you want to witness another classic Ron and Hermione fight tonight."

George moved closer to where Ron sat. Taking a seat on the empty chair, he watched his brother. He knew something had happen last night between Ron and Pansy but he couldn't get anything out of him though he had been trying since he ran into the store last night after hearing the glass break and watching Ron call out her name down Diagon Alley. He just hoped to hell, Ron wasn't about to take his anger out on Hermione.

"I know I'm going to hate myself in about five seconds for asking this," George said taking a deep breathe, "Where was Pansy tonight?"

"Probably playing with the Ferret and her potions set, telling him what an arse hole I was too her. I'm actually surprised he didn't come in the store and hex me today," he muttered. "You got your wish by the way, I doubt the Slytherin princess will be gracing our store again anytime soon. I hope you weren't hoping on anymore Quidditch tickets."

"What happened?"

Ron didn't answer, he just turned and glared at his brother through narrowed eyes, finishing his drink.

"George, did you get lost?" Hermione's voice broke the tension as she emerged onto the roof. Stopping George from saying anymore, glancing at Ron, he simply sighed in surrender as he stood up from his chair, half wondering why Hermione couldn't have just waited down stairs like he asked and the other half of him wondering why Ron hadn't ended it when it was clear she wasn't the witch he wanted.

"I guess I did," he replied as cheerfully as he could mustered as he watched Ron pour himself another drink. He briefly wondered if taking the bottle from Ron would be safe before continuing, "Sorry about that. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

George wasn't quite sure who he was saying that too. He just had the overwhelming urge to remind both of them.

"Hey love," she said bouncing over and taking a seat in the chair that George had emptied, seemingly oblivious to the tension radiating off of Ron "How was your day? I figured you'd be home by now. But you weren't, so I thought I would check here."

"Fine," he muttered darkly. Not sure what he was suppose to say to the girlfriend he hadn't seen in four sodding weeks. Not really sure if he even wanted to call her his girlfriend anymore. Especially when Pansy acted more like a girlfriend than Hermione did. And maybe that's what was really eating at him. Not the fact he was a first class wanker to Pansy last night.

"That's all? Just fine. I can't imagine that a day goes by when there isn't something exciting going on in the store. More exciting than trying to negotiate with house-elves. I just don't get why I can't get through to them."

"Maybe you should try listening," he grumbled, his frustration level rising.

"What?"

"Have you tried listening to what they are saying? Instead of hearing only what you want to hear which evidently is nothing that they are saying?"

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking at him with concern.

"No," Ron started, struggling to keep his anger that had started to flare under control. "Not actually. I've been actually wondering for the past few minutes, what I did to be graced with your presence? If it's to be a sounding board then can I take a rain check? I'm not really in the mood to hear you talk and you not listen to a word I say."

"I don't understand," she sounded surprised. "I know its been a few days since we've seen each other but you are ..."

"A few days? Merlin, woman, try a few weeks," Ron snapped.

Hermione started to bustle. He always thought she looked like a rooster when she did that. At one point, he remembered finding it amusing and endearing, now it just annoyed him to no end. Especially because it was a sure sign that she wouldn't hear anything he actually said, "No Ronald. It's only been a few days since we last had dinner at..."

"The Leaky Cauldron. I know when we last had dinner because we got into a fairly public argument about me asking you to spend more time with me. In front of everyone else who was dining. Including Neville Longbottom, who was so kind to point out that us yelling at each other reminded him of the good old days at Hogwarts before the bloody war. So I know it was four bloody weeks ago."

"How much have you had to drink?" her eyes narrowing at him suspiciously as she went for the bottle.

Grabbing it before she could see just what he was drinking. Merlin knows he didn't want to get into how exactly he got his hands on such a rare and expensive bottle. Snapping at her, "Clearly not enough because you are still here."

"I think you have had enough."

"And I don't care what you think," he snapped. "So are you going to tell me why I haven't seen you in four bloody weeks? When Harry and Ginny got to see you twice last week."

"Look here Ronald, I've been busy with work..."

"I know with sodding house-elves who don't follow you blindly." _And yet Pansy finds time to see me every damn day and probably works just as many hours AND is probably more important than you are at the ministry_, he added in his mind. _She has more time for me than my bloody girlfriend._

"And then there's my parents..."

"Who either refuse to let you live your life like an adult or you refuse to do so, thinking that I'm always going to be around like a good pet," he almost shouted in frustration, his temper really starting to seethe in spite all of the fire-whiskey and exhaustion from not sleeping the night before.

"That was uncalled for Ronald. If you know why I'm busy, why can't you understand that I can't see you as often as I would like. And I know our dinner at the Leaky Cauldron was NOT four weeks ago. A week maybe at the most."

"Let's see here it's February 11th isn't it?"

"I don't see the point of this," Hermione's back became ramrod straight as she snapped back.

"Just answer me dammit."

"Yes it's February 11th."

"Dinner at the Leaky Cauldron was January 6th. LAST bloody month. FOUR bloody weeks ago," he yelled. "Hell I'm surprised you remember you have a sodding boyfriend with all of your other pressing commitments that take priority over me. Just so we are on the same page, just where exactly do I rank. My guess is number 5 – after work, your parents, Harry, and Ginny. Is that about right?"

Ron was glad he was looking at her when he yelled because he watched her face grow pale and her eyes grow wide when she realized that he was right. He hated that look. It was a combination of amazement and surprise. For once, he wished someone would notice he wasn't a bloody idiot. Oh that's right, someone had and he had to go chase her away with his bloody temper.

But at the moment he really didn't want to know exactly how right he was about that last part. That he as Hermione's boyfriend ranked lower in her priority list than their bloody best mate and his little sister.

"You know I really hate that look you give me when I'm actually right. Though please don't tell me that I'm right about the last part, I don't want to know the truth," he sighed, turning his eyes back to the skyline. "So again I asking what did I do to be graced with your presence."

"I just wanted to see you. I missed you and I do love you."

"That's nice to know. I was figuring you wanted to end this charade of a relationship when George said you were here," he blurted out. He almost regretted saying anything but when his nose grabbed a whiff of the fire-whiskey, he immediately thought of Pansy and realized that he really didn't.

Hell, he had been thinking non-stop about ending the whole charade himself for several months now. He just realized he been too chicken to do anything until that sneaky Slytherin princess interrupted his self-induced misery on Christmas and weaseled her way into his life somehow.

"Why would I want to do that?" her voice croaked as she starred at him. "I love you. Why wouldn't I want to be with you? To make this work?"

"Interesting, because I've been sitting up here wondering why we are still together. In fact, I've done it a lot lately. More than I'd actually like to admit. Dammit there I go speaking without thinking again."

"How can you say you want to end this after all we've been through? We've been with and by each other since we were kids. It's supposed to be me and you. It was your hair I smell in amortentia. I love you and you love me. You do still love me?"

"I do," he whispered. "At least I think I do. But I'm starting to wonder if we actually mean the words or are just saying them out of habit. Because we are suppose to."

"How can you say that?" Hermione shrieked moving towards him. "Every time I say it, I mean it. I love you. Why isn't that enough?"

"Because in the end they are only words. Words imply actions and there is nothing behind the words. I'm as guilty about this as you are," his anger snapped as stood up. "We've argued about this enough times, I figured it had gotten through your stubborn head by now: I want you around. "

"How dare you accuse me of being stubborn? What about you? I keep telling you that I have commitments with work and my parents and YOU keep whining about spending time together! I don't know if you've noticed but there are only so many hours in the day. That's why I make a point of sending letters and telling you how I feel all the time, so you will know."

"And how many times have I told you, I'm not asking for ALL your spare time. Just some of it."

"I'm giving you all that I can!"

"You can only spare enough time for us to get together ONCE a month! You see Harry and Ginny more than you see me! You had lunch with Ginny twice last week and dinner with Harry once. But your boyfriend? I didn't see you at ALL. Not one bloody time."

Tears started to roll down Hermione's face as she yelled, "I'm doing the best I can! What do you want from me?"

"I'm telling you again. Please listen carefully – I want you around. I want to be able to see you at least once a week!" he yelled back. "If that is quick lunches during the week or dinners at your parents. Hell I don't care if the only time I get to see you is when you are also seeing Ginny or Harry or your family or my family. I just want to be able to see my girlfriend! I didn't think that was too hard to ask!"

He collapsed back into the chair and sipped his drink while she stood in front of him trembling, before continuing, "I especially don't want to fight with you anymore. I'm tired of fighting. I'm especially tired of fighting you. I hate the fact that the only way I seem to get your attention is either by picking a fight with you or fighting you in general."

"But that's who we are," she sniffled. "We fight. We always have."

"And I'm tired of it," he whispered. "I shouldn't have to fight you for your attention, especially when we are supposedly in a romantic relationship. Aren't you tired of always fighting me?"

"But we fight, it's what works for us..." she started.

"No it doesn't, Hermione," he sighed. "If it works for you then great. But listen to me when I say that I'm tired, this fighting every time I see you is not working for me."

"Is there someone else?" she asked weakly.

"What?" Ron asked incredulously. "You are kidding me right?"

"So there is someone else?" she asked again, this time there was more force behind her question.

Ron let out a hollow laugh, finishing off another glass of fire-whiskey, "That's great Hermione. Really great. You accuse me of cheating when I can't get you to spend more than 20 minutes with me more than once a month. If anyone should be accused of cheating it's you. Everyone sees you more often than me."

Before Ron could do anything, Hermione's hand connected with his face, "How dare you accuse me of cheating Ronald Weasley! I would never!"

Ron shook his head before muttering, "This coming from the woman who would rather spend New Years Eve with her parents rather than her boyfriend. In fact refused to invite me to her parents. I didn't mind spending New Years at your parents, just so I could spend the time with you but evidently I'm not good enough to warrant an invitation. So you know what, I had a great time New Years where I was – which was exactly where you weren't. But I would like to know were exactly you were New Years Eve?"

"With my parents! I told you. They were having a party with all their friends and expected me to be there. I didn't think you would be comfortable with all the Muggles."

"You never asked. You just assumed. Hear me when I tell you before you refused to spend New Years with me, I wanted to be where ever you were. No matter who else I would be spending time with."

"Oh and evidently, one refused invitation marks the end of our relationship. You want to throw all our years together away because I chose to spend New Years with my parents instead of you."

Ron started to say something but stopped, suddenly realizing it wasn't worth it. Not anymore. Not when she wasn't the one he wanted to patch things up with.

"Whatever," Ron muttered, pouring another glass. "This is what I'm talking about Hermione. I'm tired of fighting you. I'm tired of you never listening to me. I'm tired of you believing that you know what's right in our relationship without ever talking or listening to me. Two people make a relationship, not one. So why don't we just stop acting and call it a day?"

"We have something good. Why would you want to throw it away?"

"I think we've already done that."

"I haven't done anything!"

Taking a long sip, Ron turned to face the London skyline again before muttering, "You are right, you haven't done anything..."

He didn't get to finish his statement before Hermione slapped him again, "You insensitive prat."

"True," he replied taking a drink, "But then again if you had waited, you would've heard me say but I haven't done anything either."

"So at least you realize you are in the wrong here," she snapped.

"That's not what I said at all," he sighed. "I said we are both in the wrong here. But I'm fine taking the blame, if that's what will let you sleep at night."

Tears were rolling down her face, when he turned to look at her after a few minutes of silence, he sadly said, "I wish I knew how we got here but I don't know anymore. All I know is that I can't give you what you need and you can't give me what I need, so let's just call it a day."

"That's it?"

"Is there anymore to say Hermione?" he sadly continued, looking away from her.

"There's plenty more," she begged, coming to sit by him. "Why are you giving up on us? Why not fight for us?"

"I told you Hermione, I'm tired of fighting."

'If there isn't someone else, why are you so willing to toss us away so quickly and easily?"

"You really think this is easy on me?" he looked at her incredulously as something clicked in his head. "I've been fighting for us for at least a year now. I've tried talking to you. I've tried getting you to hear me. I've stayed even though I've been miserable and unhappy."

"You've never said.."

"Hermione, please don't go there. It's not that I haven't said anything, it's that you haven't heard me."

"Please don't do this," she sobbed, grabbing for his hand. Ron took it away from her quickly.

Looking at her, he replied, "I have too. For both of us. We are miserable together. I'm making you miserable and you know that. I'm also telling you that you are making me miserable. I know there is someone out there who can be exactly what you need and I'm sorry that I can't be it. Not now. And I don't think I ever will be the person you need."

Ron took her silence as a good thing and thought that she would just get up to leave. That this nightmare he had found himself in would end. That he could now start to find himself that piece of happiness that had unknowingly eluded him since the war. He just wondered if that little piece of happiness who had bounced into his life unexpectedly would ever forgive him.

"How about we talk tomorrow? After you have sobered up?" Hermione replied, wiping her eyes.

Sighing in frustration and anger, "It's not going to change anything Hermione. When I wake up in the morning, I won't want to be in a relationship with you. And probably not the next week either. Tell people what you want, in fact I know Ginny is home for the next few days. But please listen to me when I say, we are finished."

"But..."

"Hermione there is no us anymore," he said coldly, watching her eyes widen in shock, hurt, and amazement. "Do you hear me?"

Ron let out a sigh of relief when she finally nodded. Though it was the worse thing he could have done as she slapped him for the third time that evening before stalking away.

Closing his eyes he laid his head back and listened to the sounds of the city as he worked his way through the rest of the bottle, hoping to Merlin that George would have the good sense to leave him alone tonight..


	2. Chapter 2 Hermione's Response

**Disclaimer: Not the characters. Not the universe. Only the idea**.

_A/N: The following scene takes place the same night that Ron and Pansy make up in Chapter 7 of And You Will Have Me Live._

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_Hermione stared at the starry sky from the safety of her window seat in her bedroom. She found herself secretly glad that her parents had decided to finally have dinner out with just the two of them. It gave Hermione time to sit by herself and try to figure out why Ron ended their relationship.

It had been so sudden. So out of the blue. She didn't know they were having trouble.

Of course they had their fights. They had always had their fights. They had been fighting each other since first year. It was who they were. It was who they were as a couple.

But she had thought they were fine. Granted they weren't able to spend much time together between the shop and her work and their families. She had to sleep sometime. But she sent him letters. She told him that she loved him. That he meant the world to her.

How wasn't that enough? To know that she thought the world of him. To know he meant the world to her.

Didn't he understand what she was going through? What was going on in her life?

That letters and occasional visits was all she could do between sixty hour weeks at the ministry and spending time with her parents. Her parents.

Didn't he understand that she had to spend time with them? That she had to be there for them. To pay her penance for modifying their memories. For making them forget her. For sending them to Australia. For ruining the practice that they had spent years building.

Didn't he understand, she had to regain her parents trust? That she had to come home every night for dinner. She had to be at every family event. Go to the movies with them. Take trips with them. To get them to trust her. That she would be where she said she was. That she would be there and around for them.

She needed her parents trust her. She had to have their trust. How come she didn't have his?

And was this what this was about – he didn't trust her?

How couldn't he trust her? How could he think so littler of her, not to trust her?

She had been there for him every step of the way since the troll incident. Okay, maybe not those few months in sixth year when she wasn't talking to him because he chose Lavender over her but otherwise that she had been there. Whenever he needed her. She had been there.

Not him. He had runaway when both Harry and her needed him most. He just walked away and didn't look back. Not when she called his name. Not when she screamed it. And for what? For him believing that she would chose Harry over him. Of all things.

'AAAAHHHHHH!' she screamed in her mind.

Maybe this was for the best. That this just proved that he wasn't good enough for her. That he wasn't man enough to understand that she had a family too, that she had obligations to her parents – just like he had obligations to his.

And you know what? She was going to find someone who understood that they wouldn't and couldn't be her number one priority. That they would have to understand that her work and her family were important to her and she had to undertake those priorities first.

First thing tomorrow, she was going to tell her parents that she ended it with Mr. Ronald Weasley. They would be happy. She just knew it. And she would tell them, that yes, she would like to meet that young man they met at a conference a few weeks ago. The one that was building his practice.

That's it. She would prove to Ronald Weasley that loosing her was his biggest mistake and so would his family. That she would would find someone who wouldn't insist that he be her number one priority. She knew if she did that, then Ginny and Harry and the rest of the Weasley's would tell Ron. Tell him what a mistake he had made. That he needed to get her back. That he wasn't anything without her.

She would show him. She would have him begging her to comeback in no time.

And she would have him again.


End file.
